Mumbai: India pacer Arshdeep Singh understands quite well that his relatively low count of first-class appearances may not be considered “ideal preparation” as he pursues his Test dreams but he insists that it is in no way a reflection of his readiness for the traditional format.
One of India’s premier bowlers in the limited-overs format, Arshdeep has only played 24 first-class matches since his debut in December 2019.
The match Nos. 23 and 24 came in this season’s Duleep Trophy. Before these games, Arshdeep had not played first-class cricket for nearly a year. He looked to make the most of the opportunity in the Duleep Trophy, where his team, North Zone, crashed out in the semifinal stage.
Following a grueling multi-over spell in domestic red-ball games, he noted that his body felt good, demonstrating the fruits of extensive strength and conditioning work.
Arshdeep has actively picked the brains of senior speedsters like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to absorb knowledge on setting up batters and managing workloads across a five-day match.
